Boat fender and brake

ABSTRACT

An elastomeric boat fender in which two elastomeric walls are mounted in normal relationship to each other. Two pairs of diagonally opposite dihedral planes are formed and such diagonally opposite planes are respectively opened and closed as the bumper makes dock impact. The inside edges of an opening dihedral plane frictionally contact both the hull and the dock structure to brake boat movements, the dihedral planes being biased to resume right angle or normal configuration.

United States Patent 1191 Jochimski BOAT FENDER AND BRAKE I [76] Inventor: Stefan Jochimski, 30 E. Oak St.,

Chicago, Ill. 6061] 22 Filed: July 24, 1972 21 Appl. N6; 274,662

[52] US. Cl. 114/219 [51] Int. Cl B63b 59/02 [58] Field of Search 114/219; 267/141, 153 1 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,399,855 5/1946 Cobb 114/219 2,543,404 2/1951 Harasty .114 219 3,000,021 9/1961 Lang 114/219 x 3,498,251 3 1970 Dean 114/219 July 16, 1974 3/1970 Miura 114/219 X Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix Assistant ExaminerGregory W. OConnor [5 7] 7 ABSTRACT An elastomeric boat fender in which two elastomeric walls are mounted in normal relationship to each other. Two pairs of diagonally opposite dihedral planes are formed and such diagonally opposite planes are respectively opened and closed as the bumper makes dock impact. The inside edges of an opening dihedral plane frictionally contact both the hull and the dock structure to brake boat movements, the dihedral planes being biased to resume right angle or normal configuration.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENT'LJ JUL 1 51914 FIG.

FIGS

1 BOAT FENDER AND BRAKE or fenders, essentially for absorbing impact and protecting the boat followingdocking contact. Such bumpers or fenders commonly assume the configuration of cylinders .or rollers and are commonly suspended by lines along the sides of the boat hull. The fenders are principally designed to absorb impact although they have some braking action from frictional contact of the elastomeric material with the docking structure. j The braking or slowing down action of such bumpers is generally quite negligible since it arises primarily from the nature of the elastomeric material rather than from the particular structure or configuration of the fender.

It is one important object of the present invention to provide improved boat fenders which result in improved impact cushioning for given amounts of elastomeric material.

Another object of the present invention is an improved fender which not only leads to advantages in absorbing impact, but brakes boat movements in an improved way.

Still yet another important object of the present invention is an improved fender for boats which is economically and efficiently constructed, and which is of reduced size relative to desired effects obtained.

Still yet another important object is an improved boat fender wherein simple elongated and planar elastomeric-walls are mounted in relative cross-sectional cruciform configurations to provide two pairs of diagonally opposite dihedral planes which respectively open and close proportionedly to impact force so that inside or trailing edges ofthe dihedral angle in boat and docking contactprovided highly efficient frictional resistance.

Still yet another important object of the present invention is an improved boat fender of the type described wherein a pair of elastomeric walls are mounted in an improved manner by providing a freely formed interlock between the walls to attain better opening and closing of the respective dihedral planes.

. sure, includingdrawings, wherein:

F IG.- 1 'is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing a plurality of boat fenders, in accordance with the present invention, suspended from rails by lines;

FIG. 2- is an enlarged perspective view of one of the boat fenders; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the fender shown in theview of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fender of an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a boat fender taken along lines 5-5 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a top plane view of a fender shown diagrammatically in docking context. FIG. 1 illustrates somewhat diagrammatically a boat, the hull whereof hasa plurality of boat fenders shown generally at 12. Each boat fender is shown suspended from rail 13 by lines 14. Such fenders may be otherwise suspended as by attachment to the gunwhale.

The improved boat fender of this invention includes a pair of substantially planar elastomeric walls, one wall whereof is shown as 16. In the preferred form, the wall is elongated and defined by a pair of opposite ends 18 each of which has comers formed on a radius 20; Each of the ends 18 is also shown provided with mounting passageways 22, each of which has fixed metal rings formed as a circumferential channel so that it can be positioned in the mounting passageway by engaging opposite sides of the wall 16'.

Elastomeric wall 16'is shown with an elongated slot 26 having a wide dimension sufficient to closely receive a second elastomeric wall 28. Such second elastomeric wall has a shorter length then the first elastomeric wall, and is also provided with opposite ends 30, each of which has corners formed on a radius 32. The opposite ends 30 are providedwith indentations 34, and the distance between the indentations corresponds substantially to the length of the elongated slot 26. One of the indentations is seated to engage one of the ends of the elongated slot, and the second elastomeric wall is then deformed to allow the opposite indentation to engage the opposite end of the elongated slot. The two elastomeric walls then assume the normal relationship shown in the view of FIG. 2, for example. It will be seen that the mounting passageways are substantially aligned with the elongated slot and with the second elastomeric wall when mounted in normal relationship to the first elastomeric wall. The elastomeric material of the sec- 'elastomericwall when fully mounted. The mounted walls form a free interlock to facilitate relative displacement during docking contact as will be later described.

The view of FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment where the first elastomeric wall 36 and the second elastomeric wall 38 have general trapezoidal configurations, that is, such walls generally assume the configuration of. truncated pyramids with'the co'rners' formed on a radius. A ring reinforced mounted passageway 40 is positioned in the narrow end 42 of the trapezoid which is opposite wide end 44. The mounting passageway 40 is aligned with a slot (not shown), the first elastomeric wall 36 and said second elastomeric wall 38 being freely interlocked within such elongated slot.

Looking now at FIG. 5 and 6, it is seen that the fender end section has a general cruciform configuration. It is also seen that the normal relationship of the two elastomeric walls form a plurality of dihedral planes, one diagonally opposite set of dihedral planes being indicated at 46, and the other set of diagonally opposite dihedral planes being indicated at 48. The walls forming dihedral planes 46 have inside edges 50 adapted to contact structures such as the hull 10 in FIG. 5.

Looking at the view of FIG. 6, the elongated slot 26 has diagonally opposite edges 52 which are contacted by the opposite sides of the elastomeric wall 16 during docking impact. During such impact, the opened set of I diagonally opposite dihedral planes result in opposite elongated slot edges 53 being displaced from the opposite sides of elastomeric wall 16. The edges 52,however, are turned by the opposite sides of the elastomeric wall in accordance to the opening of dihedral planes 48 and corresponding closing of dihedral planes 46. This happens when the walls of a fender are displaced between the hulllO and a docking structure 55. It will be seen that not only does the improved fender absorb docking impact, but a favorable braking action is obtained to slow boat movement. As dihedral planes 46 are opened in docking contact, inside edges 50 are turned to provide efficient frictional contact between the elastomeric material of the elastomeric walls and the docking structure 55. At the same time, an opposite set of edges 52 in the elongated slot are turned by the opposite side of elastomeric side 16 to provide a resisting force to further enhance the frictional contact of the elastomeric walls with the boat hull and the docking structure. The elastic material is biasedto resume its normal relationship as shown in FIG. 5, and this inherent biasing of the material further tends to provide frietional or braking action. The greater the docking impact, the more will the opposite sides of the dihedral planes 46 open and, correspondingly, the more will the dihedral planes 48 close. The resulting greater edge turning of edges 50 and 52 will result in greater frictional contact and resisting force to improve the braking action.

It is required that the elastomeric walls have a sufficient thickness and hardness to desirably absorb docking impact, and such elastomeric walls may be formed from auto tire tubber. It is preferred that when auto tire rubber is used, at least two layers be bonded together to attain-a greater thickness. Such bonding of two layers is indicated by layerjunction lines 57 in wall 16 and 58 in wall 28. Curvilinear tire portions may be flattened, steam pressed and bonded together by utilizing rubber cement or the like.

The elastomeric walls may likewise be cast into unitary bodies as by urethane elastomeric casting. In general, it is desirable that such urethane elastomers have a thickness dimension at least equivalent to a double layer of vulcanized auto tire rubber, and have a hardness at least as hard as vulcanized auto tire rubber. The fenders may be made in various lengths depending on the size of the boat with which they will be used, and they may assume various configurations such as those suggested herein-The elastomeric walls may be vari ously mounted in normal relationship to each other including integrally forming such walls in a single body or bonding one wall within a mounting slot in the other wall. It is however, preferred to employ the free interlock illustrated herein to allow greater facility in displacing the respective walls during docking impact to lead to the desired edge turning contact to improve braking during frictional contact.

The claims ofthe invention are now presented, and

the terms of such claims may be further understood by of a given wall, each of said walls having a thickness and hardness sufficient to absorb docking impact, whereupon one set of diagonally opposite dihedral planes open as the other diagonally opposite set of dihedral planes close to both absorb impact and brake boat movement, and mounting means at one end of the fender to allow such fender to be suspended by a line along the side of the boat hull. 2. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 1 above wherein said first and second elastomeric walls form an elongated fender, one of-said walls terminating short of the end of the other wall, and said mounting means being a ring-mounted passageway in said other wall substantially along the medial line of said other wall.

3. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 1 above wherein each of said elastomeric walls is an elongated planar. member, said first elastomeric wall having an elongated slot sufficiently wide to accommodate the thickness of said second elastomeric wall, and the opposite ends of said second elastomeric wall hav* ing an identation to receive the body portions of the first elastomeric wall at opposite ends of the elongated slot so the second elastomeric wall extends to opposite sides of first elastomeric wall in a freely formed interlock.

4. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 3 above wherein the corners of each elastomeric wall are formed on a radius, and wherein the second elastomeric wall is shorter than said first elastomeric wall so that said mounting means are positioned in said first elastomeric wall in substantial alignment with the elongated slot therein.

5. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 4 above wherein said elongated slot is dimensioned to closely receive the thickness of said second elastomeric wall so that relative displacement of the elastomeric wall results in edge-turning of the elastomeric material of the elongated slot against the opposite faces of the second elastomeric wall.

6. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 5 above wherein a mounting passageway is in each of the opposite ends of said second elastomeric wall, each of said mounting passageway having fixed metal rings, and both said mounting passageways being substantially aligned with the elongated slot in said elastomeric wall.

7. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 3 above wherein each elastomeric wall is formed from hard vulcanized rubber obtained from automobile tires, each wall including at least two layers of bonded automobile tire material.

8. A boat fender'which includes the features of claim 3 above wherein each elastomeric wall is formed from east urethane elastomeric material of a hardness at least equivalent to vulcanized automobile tire rubber.

located at the same end of saidboat fender. 

1. An elastomeric fender for suspending along the sides of a boat hull, which includes, a first substantially planar elastomeric wall, a second substantially planar elastomeric wall extending beyond opposite sides of said first elastomeric wall, said first and second elastomeric walls having a general cruciform configuration, and further forming a pair of dihedral planes on each side of a given wall, each of said walls having a thickness and hardness sufficient to absorb docking impact, whereupon one set of diagonally opposite dihedral planes open as the other diagonally opposite set of dihedral planes close to both absorb impact and brake boat movement, and mounting means at one end of the fender to allow such fender to be suspended by a line along the side of the boat hull.
 2. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 1 above wherein said first and second elastomeric walls form an elongated fender, one of said walls terminating short of the end of the other wall, and said mounting means being a ring-mounted passageway in said other wall substantially along the medial line of said other wall.
 3. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 1 above wherein each of said elastomeric walls is an elongated planar member, said first elastomeric wall having an elongated slot sufficiently wide to accommodate the thickness of said second elastomeric wall, and the opposite ends of said second elastomeric wall having an identation to receive the body portions of the first elastomeRic wall at opposite ends of the elongated slot so the second elastomeric wall extends to opposite sides of first elastomeric wall in a freely formed interlock.
 4. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 3 above wherein the corners of each elastomeric wall are formed on a radius, and wherein the second elastomeric wall is shorter than said first elastomeric wall so that said mounting means are positioned in said first elastomeric wall in substantial alignment with the elongated slot therein.
 5. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 4 above wherein said elongated slot is dimensioned to closely receive the thickness of said second elastomeric wall so that relative displacement of the elastomeric wall results in edge-turning of the elastomeric material of the elongated slot against the opposite faces of the second elastomeric wall.
 6. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 5 above wherein a mounting passageway is in each of the opposite ends of said second elastomeric wall, each of said mounting passageway having fixed metal rings, and both said mounting passageways being substantially aligned with the elongated slot in said elastomeric wall.
 7. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 3 above wherein each elastomeric wall is formed from hard vulcanized rubber obtained from automobile tires, each wall including at least two layers of bonded automobile tire material.
 8. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 3 above wherein each elastomeric wall is formed from cast urethane elastomeric material of a hardness at least equivalent to vulcanized automobile tire rubber.
 9. A boat fender which includes the features of claim 1 above wherein each of said elastomeric walls has a substantially elongated trapezoidal confirguration with the corners formed on a radius, and respective wide and narrow ends of the trapezoidal configuration being located at the same end of said boat fender. 